25. Wisconsin: Running back Montee Ball’s return should help offset the loss of quarterback Russell Wilson.

24. Clemson: Many of the key pieces are back on offense. But will the Tigers lock down on the other side of the ball?

23. Cal: Admittedly, I haven’t scrutinized the projected Pac-12 depth charts, but … If Zach Maynard continues to develop and the young defensive linemen live up to their billing, the Bears could be the third-best team in the Pac-12. (Utah, Stanford and Washington may have something to say about that.)

22. Boise State: Expect 2012 to be a rebuilding year for the Broncos following the departure of quarterback Kellen Moore.

21. Virginia Tech: Another season as one of the best teams in a mediocre conference. Still can’t believe Hokies were in the Sugar Bowl.

20. Florida: The Gators were young on both lines in 2011. That won’t be the case next fall.

19. West Virginia: A tough team to project because of conference affiliation. If the Mountaineers are in the Big 12, life will be considerably more difficult.

18. Nebraska: Quarterback Taylor Martinez makes the Huskers a threat in the rugged Legends Division, which includes the Michigan schools.

17. Michigan State: Biggest question is at the most important position: Replacing quarterback Kirk Cousins won’t be easy.

16. Florida State: You could make a strong case, based on returning and incoming talent, that the Noles should be a top-10 team in 2012. I’ll believe it when I see it.

15. Notre Dame: Linebacker Manti Te’o’s return means the Irish should have a first-rate front seven. Whether they challenge for a BCS berth depends on the offense.

14. Auburn: The Tigers were better than their 8-5 record indicated in 2011 — three losses were to top-10 teams — and they should take another step next season.

13. Louisville: My sleeper pick, based on the number of returning starters in a weak league that’s there for the taking.

12. Texas: If quarterback David Ash plays the way he did in the Holiday Bowl, the Longhorns just might win more than a few games in the Big 12.

11. Arkansas: If dynamic tailback Knile Davis doesn’t return to top form, drop the Hogs into the late teens. He’s that important, and that good.

10. Kansas State: Quarterback Collin Klein (40 TDs rushing and passing) returns. If the Wildcats improve their defense, they could be a top-five team.

9. Ohio State: Elite recruiting classes from 2008-11 combined with Urban Meyer equal a return to form for tOSU.

8. South Carolina: Coach Steve Spurrier has finally found his quarterback (Conner Shaw), at least until Week 3. Marcus Lattimore’s return should help just a bit.

7. Georgia: The Aaron Murray-directed Dawgs will be out of place as a high-powered offense in the defensive-minded SEC.

6. Michigan: The Brady Hoke-led revival continues as quarterback Denard Robinson returns for his senior year. The big question is the defensive front.

5. Oklahoma: Yes, the Sooners lose games they shouldn’t. But when you examine who’s returning — especially quarterback Landry Jones — they sure look like an elite team.

4. Oregon: The loss of LaMichael James won’t derail the Ducks, who are well-stocked at every unit and welcome back the Thomases (Darron and De’Anthony).

3. Alabama: Despite heavy personnel losses on defense — not to mention the expected departure of TB Trent Richardson — it’s difficult to imagine the Tide not being a top-five team with quarterback A.J. McCarron and all that talent waiting in the wings.

2. USC: With 19 returning starters, including quarterback Matt Barkley, receiver Robert Woods and safety T.J. McDonald, the Trojans are the team to beat in the Pac-12 and perhaps the country. In other words: They’re baaaaaack. (And that makes everything so much more fun!)

1. Louisiana State: Zach Mettenberger, a former 4-star recruit who began his career at Georgia, takes over at quarterback and will have to find his comfort zone quickly. Everywhere else, the Tigers are absolutely LOADED.

So there you have it: 25 teams for the ’12 season a mere 7.5 months before the first kickoff .

Jon Wilner

Post navigation

This poll has got serious issues(early or not). Seriously, did watch the #6 ranked Wolverines bowl or #15 Notre Dame at all last year or Michigan State #17??????? Really need to go back to the drawing board, for real!

1959

Let’s take a look at Wilner’s recent history of ranking Stanford and Cal in preseason polls:

Over the last four years, Wilner has consistently overrated Cal and underrated Stanford. Sure seems to be the case this year.

1959

“19. West Virginia: A tough team to project because of conference affiliation. If the Mountaineers are in the Big 12, life will be considerably more difficult.”

“13. Louisville: My sleeper pick, based on the number of returning starters in a weak league that’s there for the taking.”

It makes ZERO sense to rank a team higher because it has an easier schedule. You are rewarding the team twice for playing easy teams: first because they have a lower chance of losing and thus dropping in the rankings, and second because they start at a higher point than they deserve.

The fact that you would rank West Virginia differently depending on the league they play in is ridiculous! You are ranking the best 25 teams — their schedule should be irrelevant.

Ranger John

@Wither….Georgia’s defense got better as the season unfolded BUT…

Boise State blew them up with Kellen (not a Heisman candidate) Moore. I watched a replay of that game and Boise should be ranked in the TOP 10 even with all the losses on Defense and QB.

THE BCS IS FIXED…………FOR THE SEC

gules rampant

1959,
Good report on Wilner’s (sometimes willful) cluelessness. “Homers” some of us may be, but clueless rather less so than the Merc “professional” assigned to the Pac 12.

The bad part is that he gets to snark for 51 weeks and then immediately start on the next rotation without having to pay the piper. He’s almost constantly wrong locally – as far as prognostication – then he shrugs and the Merc gives him another pass. He thinks he’s clever with Cal at 23 until the season starts unfolding and low and behold! Cal underachieves and Stanford overachieves. SURPRISE!!!

I’m sorry that you considered Cal, and I recognize things were different back then. But I’m from Virginia, and let’s just say admittance-wise all options were open to me, and I NEVER. CONSIDERED. CAL. except to not consider it.

What, you are going to chastise me for my better options?

Roll On

My idea has always been that Wilner hates Cal and loves Stanfurd. I guess you jokers feel the contrary.

I do not believe that Cal deserves to be in the top-25 now, but I guarantee at least 8 wins next year before a Bowl Game. They lose a lot of starters, but the guys they have replacing said starters will be exponentially better. The D line will improve massively with the return of Payne and Tipoti along with the development of King, Moala, Barr, Jalil, Coleman, and the beasts coming in as freshman. Forbes and Hurrell could be better ultimately on the inside than Holt and Kendricks were. Our OLB depth is absurd with Whiteside, Wilkerson, McCain and Camporeale.

Maynard will be better, our O-Line has some good recruits and 3 pretty good returning starters. Our RB situation is just fine with Sofeli and Anderson coming back. Bigelow has the potential to be like Jahvid Best if healthy. Mo Harris is gonna be a sick WR behind Allen (Best receiver in the Pac) and we have a bunch of guys coming in that could play right away at WR.

With the favorable Pac-12 schedule, the Bears will be the 3rd best team in the Pac-12. Yes, I know too much about this team, but was hooked from birth. 2013 is the year they explode with Zach Kline becoming an elite talent at QB.

Roll On! Stanfurd sucks and will be 7-5 with a nice tidy Big Game loss.

Fred

USC is much improved, but they are not baaaacckk.

They had a good season. But the Trojans were also very close to being an 8-4 football team.

If Oregon doesn’t have to play a top 5 team the week before, is the outcome of the Oregon vs USC game different?

Oregon also won’t be sending 2 freshman corners out on the field next year at the coliseum.

Has USC found a running game yet?

Are we forgetting the combined 1300 yds of offense that Oregon put up on USC in 2009 and 2010?

After watching Oregon sleep walk through the first half of the game this year, Until USC actally wins the 2012 Pac10, Oregon is the favorite to repeat.

HAHAHAHA

@1959 Louisville is in an easier league and beat West Virginia on their field this season. So why exactly wouldn’t they be ranked higher? That is assuming however that WVU will be in the Big 12, which won’t be happening next season.

CJ

Once Cal gets crushed.in the first Pac-12 game they’ll drop out of the rankings for good.

Trojan4Ever

Fred:
If memory serves me correctly, the only team to beat both participants in the Pac-12 title game in 2011 was…USC. The Trojans beat Oregon in Eugene and killed the ugly little bruins. I think we will be the preseason favorite to win in 2012. See you in LA in November!

NorCal Tree

So Gentlemen (and perhaps a few ladies), we know Wilner’s schtick. What are our options? I like our mostly friendly banter as I think we keep each other in check as opposed to the immense bias that we can see at the bootleg or bearinsider.

There is room for someone to step into the void and provide Cal and Stanford and Pac 12 information without the “reverse homer SEC love” that we see here. Perhaps the new Pac12 network will provide something although it likely won’t slant to the Bay Area. Wilner looks to be controversial so he can drive the clicks. I think one can be a very good writer and develop a following that respects what is being written and amplifies the content. JW did this with his insights on the PAC12 realignment, but not much else from my perspective.

With his voting record and his negativity for Stanford and Cal, I can easily migrate elsewhere. Thoughts?

Jeff

This list is a bit odd. Mostly that he ranked the Georgia Bulldogs so highly at number 7. I’m not hating on the dawgs, but I am a dawg fan and think that is way too high. They may have improved on defense, but the offensive game plan is dismal at best. This is in part due to coaching, but they built their entire game plan on a true freshman running back, who is rumored to be leaving the program next year due to his poor personality.

Next year they will bring in yet another stellar true freshman back, which should help, but between the loses on defense and losing their star center, it is hard to believe that UGA will finish in the top 10 next year. Maybe the author put UGA in the top 10 because, for once, SEC teams have a very easy schedule. I’m guessing that 6-7 of the top 10 spots will be from the SEC at the end of next year because of this.

I’d also take USC out of the top 3 and put them in the top 5 somewhere. Bama should be #1, LSU #2, Oregon #3, USC #4, Oklahoma State #5. But as we have seen many times before, USC will lose to some team they have no business losing to.

stanfordfan

Hey, reading the banter here, Oregon and USC should be pre-season favorites for their respective divisions… That’s reality and I’m OK with it…Dropping Stanford off the map and glorifying Cal on the prayer that Maynard G. Krebbs continues to develop are both silly notions…

califgoldenbear

You stanfurd fans are ridiculous. Trust us Cal fans when we tell you that losing a once-in-a-generation qb makes a huge difference the following year. Keep trying to convince yourselves that you will not see a big drop off next year because of you overrate your mediocre defense
As for Cal, we had far more questions going into this year then we do going in to next. They included a brand new qb, an unproven rb, youth on defense, home games away from memorial, two thursday night games in a row and road games at Oregon, Washington and Stanfurd. There is no question Maynard will be better with a year of experience, the schedule is much more favorable, Sofele, Anderson and Allen are all back and Cal has tons of talent on defense. Don’t forget Stanfurd fans, despite how great you were this year you beat us by 3 at home.
Next year will be different

NQR

Wilner clearly believes Stanford’s success was all Harbaugh and Luck.

stanfordfan

Thanks, califgoldenbear, for reminding me what happened after Stanford’s only Heisman trophy winner Jim Plunkett left in 1971… Went to the Rose Bowl in 1972 under backup qb Don Bunce and beat Michigan…

Thanks for the Rick Perry moment… Time for the “Oops!” now…

1959

@gules rampant “I’m sorry that you considered Cal, and I recognize things were different back then. But I’m from Virginia, and let’s just say admittance-wise all options were open to me, and I NEVER. CONSIDERED. CAL. except to not consider it.

What, you are going to chastise me for my better options?”

1. I did not consider Cal.
2. I was at Stanford in the 2000’s.
3. I am not chastising you for having better options, I am chastising you for acting like a pompous jerk. Cal is a fine educational institution and trying to put people down just because you were lucky enough to attend Stanford reflects badly on you and on your alma mater.

@HAHAHA “Louisville is in an easier league and beat West Virginia on their field this season. So why exactly wouldn’t they be ranked higher? That is assuming however that WVU will be in the Big 12, which won’t be happening next season.”

I am not comparing Louisville to West Virginia. I am saying that a pollster should never reward a team for having an easier schedule (as Wilner has admitted to doing here).

tk94111

“next year will be different” – the perpetual battle cry of the Cal Bear fan.

NorCal Tree

@64califbearcub – this is exactly the ridiculous homer bias I was talking about. Roll on back to Bear Insider. Cal played an excellent game against Stanford, quite possibly the best effort they gave all season according to many of my UCB friends.

We have heard the blather before: “You guys will tank next year without (insert Toby Gerhardt, Jim Harbaugh, Vic Fangio, Andrew Luck). We will be very good and the Big Game will likely be deciding 2nd to 3rd place in the Pac 12 bowl race and ideally more.

Both Cal and Stanford have quarterback questions and “you all know it” as do we!

John

No way WVU is going to struggle in the Big12, If I remember WVU destroyed the Big12 champ. WVU will be a contender first year in. Jon Wilner needs to learn something about football.

mk92

califgoldenbear: “Next year will be different”

Is it just me, or do Cal fans sound a lot like Cubs fans (only far less lovable)?

Sean Thompson

mk92…trust me, its becoming a mantra of us Cal fans to say “just wait til next year”

Am I the only rational Cal fan here? I lvoe my bears, and Im not trying to troll here, but what gives us any indication that Cal will be improved next year? I just seeing us staying right in the middle of the PAC, with a 7 or 8 win season, a mediocre bowl game, and losing to USC AGAIN. I’m a fan for life but I’m so tired of seeing the same tired jekyl/hide team that we’ve seen for the last 5 years.. this is clearly a coaching problem.